Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understanding Art in Tuscany
Tuscany was the scene of one of the most influential and
sustained artistic revolutions in history. Its masterpieces record
the transition from the stylized charm of medieval art to the
Classical beauty and richness of the High Renaissance.
No detailed setting
or background
Idealized
figures
Gold,
symbolizing
purity, was
used lavishly.
MEDIEVAL ART
Medieval art served as an aid
to prayer and contemplation.
The Virgin, patron saint of
many Tuscan cities, including
Siena, was often depicted as
the Queen of Heaven,
surrounded by adoring
angels and saints.
Lack of
spatial
depth
Unifying
flow of
drapery
Maestà
(1308-11)
The stylized figures in this detail
from Duccio's huge altarpiece
for Siena cathedral are
painted with great delicacy.
RENAISSANCE ART
The artistic revolution known
as the Renaissance, which
spread throughout Europe
from the 15th century
onwards, had its roots in
Tuscany. Inspired by ancient
Roman art, sculptors and
painters brought about a
“rebirth” of Classical ideals.
They were supported by
wealthy and cultured patrons,
themselves fascinated by the
works of such Classical
authors as Plato and Cicero.
Nudes, landscapes, portraits,
and scenes from mythology
The figures
form a
triangle, symbolizing
the Holy Trinity.
The viewer's eye is
drawn upwards to
the figures of Christ
and God the Father
at the apex.
The Virgin and St
John
are depicted as
real people, rather
than idealized figures.
Lorenzo Lenzi,
Masaccio's patron,
kneels opposite
his wife.
The Trinity
(c.1427)
Masaccio pioneered perspective
in painting, using architectural
illusion to create a three-
dimensional effect
(see p110)
.
TIMELINE OF GREAT TUSCAN ARTISTS
1260-1319
Duccio di
Buoninsegna
1267-1337
Giotto
di Bondone
1377-1455
Filippo Brunelleschi
1245-1315
Giovanni
Pisano
1270-1348
Andrea Pisano
1374-1438
Jacopo della Quercia
1200
1250
1300
1350
1245-1302
Arnolfo
di Cambio
1319-47
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
1378-1455
Lorenzo Ghiberti
1240-1302
Cimabue
1283-1344
Simone Martini
1386-1460
Donatello
1223-84
Nicola Pisano
Medieval Artists
